In the Eyes of a Child
by Desperado1102
Summary: She lost everything when he left. Her heart went with him. When she hears he's back on her brithday, she wonders if he'll remember...


This is my first so be kind!

i don't own Jack or any pirates character..sighs deeply

She quickened her pace; reminding herself this may be the last time. The corset she was wearing was making it difficult to breath and she would've slowed down had her mind not been on the one thing she cared about. She could see the place where the horizon met the water and smiled to herself. Thoughts rushed through her head. Some were good and some were bad. She wondered if he remembered her after so much time. After all they had been through together when they were little kids. He had promised to come back for her and she had promised to wait. But that was seventeen years ago.

People eyed her suspiciously as she ran down the streets of Port Royal with her skirts hitched up and her hair trialing behind her. She didn't even look in their general direction. She kept running, listening to the pounding of her own heart against her chest. The normal sounds of the town faded out of her mind and all she could hear was herself. The sounds her bare feet made against the stones on the ground. The leaves that crunched as she stepped lightly on them. The wind whistled in her ears and she shook her head, trying to clear her mind and calm herself. She had dropped her fan ages ago and the hat she was previously wearing had already flown off her dark black hair. She must've looked like a savage to anyone who didn't know why.

The harbor was coming into view and her breath hitched in her throat as she spotted the thing she was looking for. The Black Pearl. She had never been happier in her life. She stopped, staring at the ship then back out to sea, wondering if she ever had a chance. If he would ever remember her. She felt a single tear escape from her eye and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. She ran down the stone steps and found herself on the sandy beach, waiting for something she knew wasn't there. Maybe, she thought to herself. She yanked at her skirts and made her way toward the little crevice in the rocks they used to play in when they were little kids.

It was easier walking on the beach with no shoes on and she was glad she had kicked them off before running out on her own birthday party. Her mother may have been furious, but she had to know. Seventeen years was long enough, and she wanted to know. She wanted closure. She slowed down as the rocks became more and more clear. Once she got there, she timidly touched the side of the cave and pulled her hand back quickly like the rocks themselves had stung her. She touched it again and pressed her hand against the cool surface, closing her eyes. She stared into the black opening and smiled, removing her hand and stepping inside.

"This is silly," she said to herself, but she kept on going. She couldn't stop. She didn't want to. Her hand brushed the wall and the little carvings on it. She turned her head and squinted her eyes in the dim light. It was difficult, but she could read the crooked writing of a ten year old boy. Jack and Laila. Their names. She started to walk again, unsure of where exactly she was going. Over the light smacking of her feet, she heard a low humming. She stopped, weary to go on. As she stopped, she could hear the tune of a song underneath the humming and furrowed her brow, wondering if…

She kept going, now unafraid. She could see a rough outline of a man standing up looking over the walls as if trying to find something. She walked up next to him, not knowing who he was. He must've sensed someone was there because he stopped humming and stiffened. He turned to face her in the darkness. The only thing she could make out was his dark eyes against the darkness of the cave. "I'm sorry to startle you, sir," she said shyly. He straightened, but never once took his eyes off her. "I was wondering if you could tell me who captains that ship that came into harbor today?" she said casually. The man was still silent, looking into her eyes like they meant something. He reached up and touched her face. She didn't flinch under his warm touch.

He knew right away who the woman standing next to him was. Her tanned thin figure and her shocking bright blue eyes gave her away the instant he looked down. But she had become an adult in the many years he had been gone. She no longer looked like she ran with the boys, pretending to be pirates. He idly wondered if she would ever run with him again. If she would ever smile her warm smile that he hadn't forgotten ever after seventeen years apart. Even though she was very much a striking young woman, she looked every bit like the child she used to be. So happy and carefree running on the beach with him like she used to.

"Laila?" said the man. She looked into his dark eyes and her mouth hung open slightly. He had changed so much. He was no longer a wild little boy with dark curly hair and an innocent childish face. He had grown into something much more arresting and magnificent. He had long black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a red bandana that tied back his unruly mane. His face still had the glow of a child and his eyes still sparkled with mischief. He had turned into a beautiful man, and she regretted not seeing it happen.

"Jack," she breathed, unable to say anything else. She dropped her skirts and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He secured his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She had found him. After all these years, she had finally found the man that had haunted all of her dreams and held the key to her heart.

Jack couldn't believe he was holding her again. He thought the day he left would be the last time he saw her bright blue eyes and jet black hair. The last time he touched her face. But it wasn't, and of that, he was overjoyed. He held her silently for the longest time and smiled, knowing he had found the treasure he had come here for.

The night of her 28th birthday, Laila Hunter disappeared from Port Royal and her home of 20 years. That night, the Black Pearl pulled out of the harbor with one more passenger. When she left, it was a great loss. Her mother was beside herself, her father, a wreck. Her good friends the Turners, unsurprised and knowing. They were all at a loss. Now they knew how she felt when Jack had left her. How empty and alone she had felt all those years ago. She was tired of losing things. She was tired of not getting the one thing she wanted. That night, Laila gained something. She had regained her best friend and gained the love of her life.


End file.
